Category Archives: Weekly Financial News

Housing Sales, Prices Continue Skyward

The Mortgage Corner The S&P Case Shiller Home Price Index continues to soar, with Seattle and Portland existing-home prices up double digits in a year, while Dallas and Denver are up some 8 percent annually. Case-Shiller’s national index is within … Continue reading

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Hillary Clinton, the New FDR?

Popular Economics Weekly Even President Obama, among others, has said Hillary Clinton is one of the most qualified presidential candidates ever. And she has been advocating a new New Deal for America, including tuition-free public universities and colleges, paid maternity … Continue reading

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Housing Construction Slows

The Mortgage Corner Single-family housing construction rose in September. Though overall starts plunged what looks like a shocking 9.0 percent in September, to a 1.047 million annualized rate, said Econoday. The drop is tied entirely to the volatile multi-family component … Continue reading

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A Recovery In Retail Sales?

Financial FAQs September retail sales rose: total up 0.6 percent, ex-auto up 0.5 percent, ex-auto ex-gas up 0.3 percent, which indicates a good holiday season for retail. But this is bucking the downward trend that has sales sinking to the … Continue reading

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Will Low Interest Rates Continue?

The Mortgage Corner This question is behind much of the stock and bond market gyrations. We are near full employment with a 5.0 percent unemployment rate, some 11 million jobs created since the end of the Great Recession, yet we … Continue reading

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Jobs Report—Not Yet Full Employment

Popular Economics Weekly The unemployment rate rose slightly to 5 percent for the first time since April, the government said Friday, though that was mainly because 444,000 people entered the labor force. There are still too many unemployed, in other … Continue reading

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Motor Vehicle Sales Boost Retail, Manufacturing

Financial FAQs One of the first hard indications on the September economy is strongly positive as overall unit vehicle sales surged 4.7 percent to a 17.7 million annualized rate. This will boost the vehicle component of the September retail sales … Continue reading

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Why Brexit?

Financial FAQs Brexit, the British vote to exit the European Union, was precipitated by many factors, including Brit’s fear of loss of sovereignty due to the Schengen requirement that it open its borders to citizens of other EU countries.  And … Continue reading

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Holiday Cheers–Consumers Feel Happier!

Popular Economics Weekly It’s back to school time, and consumers are feeling the holiday spirit already. Americans in September were most optimistic about the economy since the summer of 2007, in part because of a happier view of the U.S. … Continue reading

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When Will (Housing) Selling Season End?

The Mortgage Corner It’s already October and the housing market continues to boom—even after the kids are back in school, the usual end of the sales season. Sales of newly-constructed homes dropped 7.6 percent in August, though they beat forecasts. … Continue reading

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